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Community Influences on Married Men’s Uptake of HIV Testing in Eight African Countries

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Abstract

Despite efforts to increase HIV testing in the African region, the proportion of men who report ever having been tested for HIV remains low. Research has focused on individual level determinants of women’s testing however little is known about factors associated with men’s testing behavior. This analysis investigates community influences on HIV testing among men ages 15–54, using Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from Chad, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Multilevel models were fitted in each country for the outcome of ever receiving an HIV test. After controlling for individual and household level factors, community level factors of demographics, economics, and behavior and knowledge remain significantly associated with HIV testing among men. The results of this analysis highlight the need to recognize the impact of community influences on men’s HIV test seeking behavior, and to harness these community factors in the design of programs aimed at encouraging the uptake of HIV testing among men in Africa.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, grant number 1R03HD053226-01A1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, #7025, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Rob Stephenson, K. Miriam Elfstrom & Amy Winter

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  1. Rob Stephenson
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  2. K. Miriam Elfstrom
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  3. Amy Winter
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Correspondence to Rob Stephenson.

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Stephenson, R., Miriam Elfstrom, K. & Winter, A. Community Influences on Married Men’s Uptake of HIV Testing in Eight African Countries. AIDS Behav 17, 2352–2366 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0223-0

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